Podcast. Code Switch

In a diverse country such as the US, sometimes we need to remember to celebrate and learn about that same diversity.

Keep Things Colorful

I've been really enjoying listening to the podcast Code Switch by NPR. In this podcast, journalist of color come together to discuss a wide variety of issues they have faced as journalists of color. Topics covered have included how various minority cultures in the US view outdoor activities, political agendas, and speaking up about racism.

Uncomfortable Conversations Lead to Growth

There are times I've been made uncomfortable while listening to certain topics; however, I think that may be a good thing. At times, hearing these topics discussed in depth has helped me gained a better understanding about where another person is coming from and going toward. I'll continue to listen to Code Switch, with the goal of catching up from the beginnings of this podcast, no mater how difficult the discussions can be.

Podcast. White Lies

I quite enjoy listening to podcasts that investigate and retell the various angles of a story and how it has evolved both socially and factually. The ever-evolving game of telephone we play as kids can be so harmful as adults in social circles, and so very difficult to unravel when an entire community plays it for over five decades.

A Story of Law & Social Influence

The podcast White Lies by NPR takes two young men from Alabama to the small town of Selma, Alabama to investigate a trial that occurred shortly after, and likely was related to, the Bloody Sunday Massacre after a peaceful march led by Martin Luther King, Jr. in the mid-1960s.

The two podcast hosts search desperately for the trial transcripts for the murder of a white religious leader and northerner who had come to Selma after Bloody Sunday in an attempt to help the turbulent town. Along the way, they interview people alive at the time including trial jurors, discover various media circulated at the time, and unravel stories told down through generations of the stories told socially through the many grapevines. Depth is added to the investigative story by way of current political and historic structures and stories of the town that help paint a picture of how the town may have looked in the 60's.

The White Lies podcast is well written, well executed, and well balanced. I highly recommend it to the podcasts listeners among us.

Podcast. Left, Right, Center by KCRW

I recently discovered a podcast called "Left, Right, Center" by KCRW by NPR on my podcoin app. The topics are mostly political, but also include social topics and other things that tend to divide people along conservative/liberal or democrat/republican lines.

The host is the "center" representative. The left and right are mostly consistent, but are occasionally different people. Sometimes a third guest is thrown in just for fun, or as a specialist on a particular topic.

Keeping Discussions Civil

What I like so far about the random episodes I've listened to is that the arguments are kept mostly civil. The majority of guests on the show seem to know and respect each other to some degree, and while things get heated the topic is resolved or changed before a full blown fight emerges.

I really appreciate the host's ability to review facts of difficult topics, ask the hard follow up questions, but also moderate well and know when the discussion is devolving and needs to be switched to a new topic. There are a few times I've heard one side or the other get pretty heated with their opinions, as is to be expected, but they still manage to keep it civil.